


How to Break Steve Rogers

by Hand_of_the_Alex



Series: Stucky Shorts [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: :), Angst, Flashbacks, M/M, established stucky, mourning steve, sad Steve, the tiniest bit of fluff, tony doesnt know when to shut up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hand_of_the_Alex/pseuds/Hand_of_the_Alex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony doesn't know when too far is too far and it affects Steve in a way nothing else would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**2011**

“C’mon Pep I wanna see who dear old dad was obsessed with” Tony whined from his position on the couch to his girlfriend who just walked in after making a phone call.

“This again? You can go on your own you know? I have a company to run and it’s not the easiest task especially after what happened with Hammer tech.” Pepper argued back.

“Not my fault that he was a grade A idiot. I did warn you all, but no one listens to me, it’s okay I’m only a genius but ignore that and trust someone who doesn’t know a screwdriver from a car battery.” Tony babbled.

“Tony please.” Pepper said exasperated.

“Okay I’ll go on my own. It should be closed now right?” Tony asked.

“Yes Sir the Smithsonian is closed for the night.” JARVIS replied.

“J, make a call and say I’m coming so they know not to you know shoot me or something.” Tony ordered.

“I doubt the one security guard on rota would shoot you sir but I will make the call.” JARVIS replied.

Tony made his way to the garage. “Don’t wait up.” He called back to Pepper as he left the room. He picked his fastest and flashiest car to drive to the airport to get to his jet. He would probably end up staying at his place in DC considering it was already 11pm.

\------

When he got there and the owner let him in (as he wanted to meet Iron Man personally), then he got showed the to Captain America exhibit and left to his own devices. He wandered along and saw the tiny section on his dad and how he helped create Captain America from the skinniest man Tony had ever seen.

The Howling Commandos were a famous name in American household’s, all kids were told of their stories as kids, Jarvis had told him about them before bed times and the mischief they got up to. Along with the happy tales of the commandos everyone also knew about James ‘Bucky’ Barnes’ death, so when Tony got round to that part of the exhibit he expected to just read about how he was Cap’s best friend and all the things he had done.

There was information about how Barnes and Cap had lived lived together before the war and were best friends their whole lives and inseparable. The little video above the section of the two of them laughing and smiling like they were the happiest they could be just because they were with each other had Tony smiling along with it because it was too infectious.

Tony had been told by his dad (whenever he could be bothered talking to him) that they had searched for Cap and he could have been saved if he had given them co-ordinates but now Tony understands that maybe the loss of his best friend meant Cap didn’t want to be saved, as the exhibit stated they were inseparable.  

Tony then snapped out of the weird sad mood he was in and left the exhibit.

 

* * *

 

**2012**

“A big man in a suit of armour. Take that off and what are you?” Steve angrily asked.

“Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” Tony bluntly replied and the nods of agreement circled the room.

“I know guys with none of that worth ten of you.” Steve said right up in Tony’s face, anger overcoming him. “I’ve seen the footage, the only thing you really fight for is yourself. You’re not the one to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on the wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

“I think I would just cut the wire.” Tony snarkily replied.

Steve smiled and laughed unbelievably. “Always a way out. You may not be a threat but you better to pretending to be a hero.”

“A hero like you? You’re a laboratory experiment Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle. And you talk about the ‘sacrifice play’ like you made the real one, what about your best pal Barnes, you just let him die! What hero does that? I may not be a hero but you aren’t either.” Tony spat.

Steve’s face changed from pure anger to sadness, the room grew silent except for Steve’s broken exhale. Everyone else looked angrily at Tony before Steve walked out the room, no one made the move to follow him because that isn’t what he needed. Instead they decided to reprimand Tony for what he was thinking bringing that up.

“What the hell Tony?” Natasha finally asked.

“Wait you’re getting mad at me? I gave as good as I got!” Tony defended himself.

“No that was just too much.” Natasha said.

“Okay then! All get mad at me for defending myself, I am truly sorry.” Tony sarcastically said.

“You people are so petty.” Thor spoke up. “And tiny.” He added.

“I’m going to go and find Steve.” Natasha decided.

She walked around until she found a small room where Steve was sat leaning on the wall. She slid down the wall so she was sat next to him but not too close. He looked close to tears and the little vibrancy she had seen from him was demolished.

“Stark doesn’t understand what he’s saying most of the time. He was just too angry and threw whatever he knew would hurt you.” Natasha explained.

“He’s right though, it was my fault. Buck should have been home after I saved him from Zola, he should have been resting in our apartment and not following me on death missions.

* * *

 

**_1943_ **

_“Buck, you doing okay?” Steve asked after a particularly tough mission that had nearly drained Bucky completely._

_“Yeah Stevie, just a long day is all. C’mon get in here with me.” Bucky said getting into the large hammock in their tent. No one had said a thing about the two of them and no one really cared or at least showed that they cared. Steve got into the hammock and swung his arm around Bucky who snuggled back up to him in return so they were nicely cozy._

_“You know you could have said no.” Steve said and Bucky just turned to he was looking at Steve with a raised eyebrow. “To following me around, Zola must have done something, not that you have to tell me what he did, but just tell me if you’re not okay. Please.” Steve pleaded._

_“Okay Stevie. I’m fine though and you know I’d follow you to the end of the world just making sure you didn’t do anything stupid, cos the last time I wasn’t there you let someone experiment on you.” Bucky jokingly replied._

_“Turned out well though and meant that I could finally save you from a bully.” Steve said pulling Bucky in even closer thinking of when he found Bucky strapped to that chair, barely conscious and feeling the need to make sure he is definitely there._

_“I never saved you. I helped you. You always had ‘em on the ropes I just finished ‘em off for you.” Bucky said with a fond smile._

_“So you sure you’re ready for this tomorrow? We are going to be jumping into a moving train off a cliff” Steve asked to make sure._

_“Til’ the end of the line means ‘til the end of the line. I’ll follow you anywhere.” Bucky said and placed a soft kiss on Steve’s lips._

* * *

 

**2012**

“I’m sure it was his choice Steve, you couldn’t force someone to do something they didn’t want.” Natasha reassured.

“But I should have told him to stay behind on the cliff or something. I should have made sure he was safe like he always made sure I was.” Steve lamented.

“Well he wouldn’t have stayed on the cliff if he was always making sure you were safe Steve, I don’t think you could have made him stay behind and not protect someone he loved.” Natasha explained with a knowing look in her eyes. Steve knew she was good at getting information out of people so she must have realised that Steve and Bucky were more than just best friends.

“I still should have done something. I could have saved him if I was quick enough.”

“Well the person I love has been captured and I wasn’t there and I could have been. I could have done this and I could have done that but Steve it happened and now there’s nothing we can do about it except carry on and kick some god’s butt and anyway the universe always has a way of figuring everything out.” Natasha said. “Also let’s mess with Tony’s suit a little bit. Maybe paint it bright pink.” Natasha mischievously suggested.

Steve smiled and then started to get up off the dirty floor. He held out a hand for Natasha to get up too, she took in a hoisted herself off the floor and the two of them walked back into the lab to find Bruce stood there with the sceptre in his hand and Fury asking him to put it down.

Tony looked to the two of them and looked like he was about to say something else to Steve before Natasha gave him a pointed glare as if to say don’t do it. Steve avoided all eye contact with Tony until the side of the ship exploded and Bruce and Natasha ended up on the floor below.

Steve turned to Tony. “Put on the suit.”

After the helicarrier was almost destroyed, Bruce almost killing Natasha and Phil dying, the avengers became the avengers, even with Steve still refusing to look Tony’s way and talk to him more than just mission talk.

Natasha and Clint were reunited which made Steve happy because it had worked out for Natasha, like she said. If only there was some way of bringing Bucky back with a simple hit to the head Steve wished.

He knew that the team had probably read about his history as it happened before they were born but for him he’d only just woken up from it. In his mind Bucky was alive about a month ago, they were laughing and joking and kissing and being happy. He was still raw and mourning but since the world had been messed up again he wasn’t allowed to mope around and be sad, he had to put on a happy face and save the world, he had to be Captain America again.

Maybe that’s all he could be anymore. He could accept being Captain America because Cap wasn’t Steve Rogers.

The Steve Rogers who lived in a tiny apartment with the man he loved. The Steve Rogers who recklessly abandoned the army to save his best friend. The Steve Rogers who was happy just looking at Bucky’s smile. Because for there to be Steve Rogers there has to be Bucky Barnes.

So Captain America saved the world once again.

 

* * *

 

**2013**

Steve was visiting the Avengers tower on one of his days off from doing SHIELD’s odd jobs, he had been working with Nat a lot after the battle of New York as Clint was working away so she couldn’t be with him. Steve had seen about Tony’s battle with the Mandarin on the TV but couldn’t help because he was busy.

So when Tony approached him and looked serious he was quite confused as automatically he thought there was a threat or something had gone wrong. The thoughts were racing through his head as Tony lead him out of the room.

“Right serious talk now. Remember that shitty thing I said last year about Barnes?” Tony started with and although Steve had tried to forget about it because it was all in the past now and as Natasha said there was nothing he could do about it. “I’m sorry. I know how it feels to watch someone fall right in front of you when you just can’t reach them and there’s nothing you can do.” Tony apologised sadly.

“Look I know we didn’t get along at the start and I said that you wouldn’t make the sacrifice and you did that. We said some stupid things. It’s forgiven.” Steve said.

“Yeah but that was just too much. I know you and Barnes were as close as two best friends could be and after I saw Pepper fall and I thought she was dead I didn’t know what to do. I kinda get what you were going through. So you shouldn’t forgive me.”

“Me and Buck weren’t just best friends you know. I might as well tell you as Natasha knows and I think Clint does too, but yeah me and Buck were I don’t know what you call it these days but yeah.” Steve admitted.

“Shit. So it was worse than just childhood best friends. Damn Rogers how are you still standing?” Tony asked looking very guilty.

“You just gotta keep busy. I think you know what I’m talking about.”

“Yeah I guess I do.” Tony said looking in the direction of his suit. “Well enough of this serious talk. Thor brought some asgardian booze and I want to see if you can get drunk!” Tony excitedly said and went back into the main room.

\-----------------------

A couple of months later Steve was talking to a man called Sam Wilson and Natasha texted him to meet her at the curb for a mission.

Soon enough the universe did right itself for Steve and Bucky returned back to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lil extra chapter of Bucky's reaction ;)

**2016**

Steve and Bucky were lounging around the avengers facility watching some of the hundreds of TV shows they needed to catch up on, they were halfway through episode 8 of season 5 of Game of Thrones when half of the avengers burst through the door. Instead of the usual talking coming from them they were all shouting at each other for some reason or other. Steve looked up, concerned about his team mates but confused as to why they were shouting and kind of annoyed that they were disrupting a great episode.

“What the hell is going on?” Steve finally asked.

Everybody all started talking at once and pointing at each other so Steve just gave up. Then Clint walked in and looked at the team and shrugged.

“It’s like the famous Steve Tony fight of 2012 all over again.” Clint said sitting on the couch close to the super soldiers.

“Steve Tony fight of 2012?” Bucky asked and Steve begged God for Bucky to just drop it because if he found out, there was nowhere Tony Stark could hide that Bucky wouldn’t find him and kill him in the most brutal way possible.

“It was brutal. I wasn’t there but Nat showed me the footage and I could feel the heat of those burns coming out of the screen. It stopped before the end though and then started again and Steve was gone.” Clint explained.

“I asked Nat to take that bit out. No one had to hear that.” Steve said and just hoped that would be the end of it.

“You not want to tarnish Captain America’s good name or something?” Bucky asked jokingly.

“Or something.” Steve replied.

“I’m gonna find that tape and see what it was.” Bucky said determinedly.

“C’mon Buck don’t do that.” Steve pleaded.

“Can’t stop me now.” Bucky shook his head and smirked.

“I doubt you’ll be able to find the original if Nat had anything to do with it.” Clint said.

“Is this a challenge now Barton?” Bucky asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s on!” Clint said and jumped up from the couch and Bucky soon followed. Steve sat there and put his head in his hands and contemplated warning Tony.

* * *

 

It only took four hours until Steve was met with a fuming Bucky. He looked livid and was shouting about every single way he could kill Stark. Steve had tried to stop him and explain that he had apologised but Bucky wasn’t having it and looked around until he founds Bruce and Tony in the lab.

“I would leave right now Bruce.” Bucky said angrily, and Bruce took one look at him and scuttled out of the room.

“What’s up Sarge?” Tony asked unfazed by Bucky’s anger.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now Stark? I get that you and Steve had your differences back when you first met but how dare you say me falling was his fault. I just cannot even believe you said that! He had only just gotten out of the ice so he had only been around for about a month all together since my ‘death’ and you had to fucking say the worst thing possible to someone grieving for the love of their life. I know your verbal filter is practically non-existent but that is just too much.

“It was not Steve’s fault. I followed him and I ‘died’ protecting him.” Bucky ranted and was shaking with anger afterwards.

“Barnes, I know what I said was the worst thing I could have said and I regret it more than a lot of things in my life. I hope you can forgive me like lover boy over there did.” Tony sincerely said.

Bucky looked at Tony and saw none of this usual joking face or any sign of messing around so he accepted that he was telling the truth. Although that did not stop him from punching him straight in the face (flesh arm, not metal) before accepting the apology.

“Well I’m glad that’s over with.” Tony said, pushing his nose back into place.

“What the shit Stark?” Clint came in the lab asking.

“For fucks sake.” Tony sighed.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first finished Stucky thing. I'm sorry it's all over the place and stuff.
> 
> Please comment what you thought!


End file.
